The Supreme Lord has asked that we should list, in brief, the numerous pseudo-spiritual paths & systems that exist today, under the name of 'spirituality', so that all may know which are true and which are not. Now... while some of the ‘nots’ may also embrace the idea of an ultimate or immaterial reality, as a focus for higher attainment (whether within the body or external to it), they do not provide access to high spiritual Truth. Instead, their views are solely based upon ideas & beliefs found in the mindset of followers - by which they wish to live - excluding the formal religious of course - and are thus NOT of high spirituality. Meanwhile, other pseudo-belief systems simply follow more philosophical or material concepts - based upon plain mindfulness or the intellect - with the "individual" as the only high reality. Thus today, many ordinary seekers/thinkers confuse the now trendy or cultural pseudo-spiritual practices with high spiritual truth, by likening them to true religion, or to the high spiritual paths of the Holy Truth, such as Sant Mat, Quan Yin, Mysticism. Indeed, many believe that base spiritual practices, such as the various non-devotional Yoga Systems (including kriyā, kundalini, ashtangi, haṭha, rāja, tantra, karma & dharma, prāṇa & jñāna, etc. practices); the Healing Arts (such as reiki, crystal/spiritual healing, qi gong, certain natural therapies, etc.), Confucianism, Neo-vedanta, Ietsism, Transcendentalism, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Universalism & Perennial Philosophy, Syncretism, Esotericism, Shamanism, Shinto, Paganism, Ancestral Worship, Spiritism, New Age Movement, Yiguandao/Xiantiandao, Humanism, Naturism & Naturalism, Mohism, Natural Sciences (including holism), as well as less desirable forms, such as Satanism, Cult Practices, Occultism (outside mainstream religion or true spirituality), Tribal/Folk Religion & Superstition, Witchcraft/Wicca,Scientology, Rastafarianism, Inca/Aztec/Mayan Philosophies, various world Myths/Mythologies, UFO & Alien Being Worship, and many more - including those yet to come - are the same as, or similar to, high spiritual Truth. They are very much NOT SO, and thus, I shall not elaborate upon them any further, other than to confirm that none can take a spiritual seeker to beneficially higher realms of experience; nor to Divine states of reality. Many are even harmful to spiritual and/or human welfare, and so, should be avoided - but the reader can research this for themself, and thus, reach their own verdict - according to their level of comprehension, and/or their true goal, of course.

But to help a true seeker identify them further let me add that many pseudo-spiritual beliefs often follow one or more of the four methods of recognized spiritual practice, but differ from true spiritual practice through their greater or sole emphasis upon worldly gains, the appeasement of some entity, control of the mind &/or body, or on personal power and glory, etc., rather than on attaining the highest spiritual Truth - meaning first true self-realisation, then true God-realisation, above all else... The four key methods are briefly described below (termed 'dharma') - in order of importance:-

Somatic Practices: (meaning, deprivation and diminishment), where deprivation (fasting, chastity, isolation, etc.) aims to purify the body, and diminishment concerns rejecting ego-oriented impulses (achieved again through rituals such as fasting, isolation and poverty, or through other harsh austerities) - ritualistic/ego-boosting in nature;

Social Practices: (including the practice of obedience and communal ownership), the reforming of ego-centredness into other-centredness, while following required communal services/duties - forced humility;

Psychological Practices: (including mindfulness, prayer, chanting, simple recitations and non-devotional meditations) to increase mental awareness or attain better mind control/peace - mind exercises only; and

Pure Spiritual Practices: that aim to both purify or eliminate one's ego centeredness, and connect one to a higher reality, while also directing one's worship to a deific truth (through prayer, mantra or meditation), but crucially, not beyond the realm of mind & maya (2nd realm) at best, especially for those following the pseudo-spiritual paths or beliefs.

Now because of the close similarity between the practices of some of the pseudo-spiritual followings, and true spirituality, it can be difficult for a truly sincere seeker to know which one will take them to their desired goal. Sometimes, they may first have to undergo negative or non-progressive experiences with one or more of the pseudo-spiritual groups, mainstream cultural religions, or self-styled practices – which are often more appealing to the wayward mind, at first – till they discover the spiritual limitations or unholiness of such practices – hopefully in this lifetime – before they can discover the true way to full Truth-realisation. Then, they will also recognize the difference between high spirituality and the common lower practices – as they come across them. But, as an aid to clarification, i shall state the key differences, here today.

The difference lays in the fact that true spiritual practice always follows the high spiritual code of ‘Divine Law’, which must always include:

(1) Absolute avoidance of harm to other sentient beings (through non-violence, and vegetarian or vegan living);

(2) Total abstinence from mind-altering drugs (such as alcohol, smoking, illegal/recreational drugs, and strong caffeine products, etc.);

(3) Strict moral living (including the key avoidance of lying, stealing, greed, mental or physical abuse/exploitation, sexual misconduct, derogatory/malicious speaking, egotism, selfishness, and all their derivatives);

(4) Strict piety (the observance of humility, tolerance, compassion, forgiveness and forbearance); and finally;

(5) Earnest devotion to the highest truth of God/ & self (thru faith and humble obedience to the selfless living Holy Representatives of God, who unwaveringly follow the ‘Divine Law’, plus, the use of Prayer or Holy Mantra Recitation and Holy Inner Meditation).

So… any spiritual organization or Holy Master, Perfect Saint or Divine Prophet Who practices all these Divine requirements, and thus “walks the talk”, in the footsteps of the Divine, are true Spiritual Paths or Holy Masters, etc., and not others, who do not meet these noble requirements.

I would now like to briefly add a related topic often brought to my attention by those seeking spiritual truth, who hope to gain spiritual experiences or powers via the 'pseudo-spiritual' route, mentioned earlier. It concerns the activity of engaging in 'magic' rites or rituals - whether "black (dark)" or "white (light)" in concept. Incidentally, the term magic itself cannot be defined in isolation, simply because of its broad scope and close connection with other related phenomena. Also, just to clarify the matter, common magic is not connected with high-truth spirituality, but belongs to the path of Paganism - a pseudo-religious system based upon polytheistic (belief in multiple separate deities and individuals) or pantheistic (belief in a supreme deity where all existence is part of that divinity, not separate from it) beliefs, involving the worship of Nature (including the cosmos), lower demi-gods & spirits, and magical powers, that are not part of mainstream religious ideals. Indeed, such worship and magic is prevalent in all forms of Paganism, and is present in all societies, regardless of how advanced they are - often forming part of a Pagan-like religion. Thus, these practices do not take one very far on the spiritual journey, and only pamper to one's sensual desires, human tribal ideas, and egoistic mental powers. For this reason mainly they are universally condemned by mainstream religions & true spirituality, alike, as harmful, inferior and unholy.

Indeed, in an often-quoted passage from one of his famous works, Aleister Crowley (a 20th century occultist) writes: “Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will”. Now this definition is renowned in part because Crowley phrased it to include both mystical and non-mystical elements. He further commented that, "at the end of the day, a belief in magick creates a definite reinforcement cycle - i.e. by imagining that the world could be magical makes it seem more magical immediately". And, while the links and interaction between magic and religion are many and varied, the origins of 'white' & 'black' magic can be traced back to the primitive, ritualistic worship of spirits, in tribal societies. Indeed, in primitive Shamanistic (Pagan) societies, efforts to achieve closeness with spiritual beings, meant that rituals were developed into 'magical' performances, designed to invoke certain spirits to produce desired outcomes for the practitioner. In this system, 'white' magic is supposedly used only for good or unselfish purposes, while 'black' magic is said to be used only for selfish or evil reasons. Divine miracles, though, are very different!

However, mainstream religions also have their dark side. In Hinduism, for example, Chathan is the negative spirit of Lord Shiva and Kali is the negative counterpart of Durga Mata; among several other negative spirits that are worshipped as deities by certain Hindus. In Islam, al-Fatiha, al-Falaq, al-Nas, al-Ikhlas and other Surahs (holy verses) are recited to protect against sorcery. While in Christianity today, Satanism is practiced amongst certain anti- Christians. In Buddhism, Ancestor worship is often added on as part of the local culture, which is a marked distraction from the Truth, while certain deities, spirits and animals are often depicted as something holy or blessed (to be revered) - though they are not. These images are simply taken from the influence of Hinduism and Jainism, over time, and are a Negative Power distraction to would-be practitioners. Also, in some localities, there are said to exist malevolent sorcerers who masquerade as real Shamans to entice tourists/visitors to drink ayahuasca tea, in their presence (a psychoactive drug brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, Psychotria viridis shrub, and other narcotic ingredients that contain the psychoactive compound, dimethyltryptamine (DMT)). One of the purposes for this is to steal their energy &/or power, of which they believe every person has a limited stockpile. Voodoo has similarly been associated with modern "black magic"; drawn from popular culture and fiction. However, while hexing or cursing may be accepted as "black magic" practices, Voodoo has its own distinct history & character that has little to do with the culture of modern witchcraft. So, as can be seen, "magic" is prevalent in all societies, regardless of whether they have an organized religion, or more general systems of, say, Paganism or Shamanism.

In the pre-monotheistic (one God) religious era, records indicate that there was no major distinction between religious practice and magic. Yet today, magic and religion function in different ways, which can be broadly divided into four areas: Intention - magic is utilised to achieve clear and immediate goals for an individual, whereas religion has its sights set on longer-term goals for everyone; Attitude - magic is manipulative, as the process is in the hands of the user, while religious attitude is that of personal and universal humility/sacrifice; Action - magic is a technical exercise that often requires professional skills to fulfil, whereas true religion is not dependent upon these factors, but on the will and sentiment of the 'gods'; Social - the goals of magic run counter to the interests of a society (in that personal gain for an individual gives them an unfair advantage over others), whereas religion has more benevolent and positive social functions. Now, most cultures have, or have had, in their past, some form of "magical" tradition that recognizes an interconnectedness of all things, but which often died out with the establishment of a major world religion, such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism or Buddhism, in its place - though it may still co-exist with that world religion. In addition to this, most modern day magic, that is readily accessible, often involves the use of spells, potions, and magical charms to bring about a desired result. But generally these do not work, as the one utilising them often has no power to do so. Thus, by using a simple 'spells & charms' book, at home, by an ordinary individual, will not yield actual results, and is more of a fun activity. So, it has no spiritual benefit ...

On a more serious note, if one chooses to engage in spiritual or religious magic then one will have to pay the consequences, since this is connected with the Negative Power of Lower Creation. Now these consequences can be mild or severe, depending upon the level/severity of activity involved. At best, simple misfortune can occur, but at worst, serious illness or death can result. What's more, regardless of the level of involvement, all practices will result in a visit to one of the 'hell regions' after death (see chapter 6) - for the period needed to cleanse one of the dark/negative forces that such activities attract upon the mind and soul of that practitioner.

In a similar way, all forms of spiritual healing (the most ancient mode of healing, dating back thousands of years), most forms of Reiki (first developed by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui in 1922), hypnotic healing (founded by Franz Mesmer in 1784), and psychic/distant/absent healing (rediscovered by Western occultists in the 1800s) are contraindicated for sincere spiritual practitioners or seekers. However... crystal healing, gemstone therapy, magnet healing, herbal medicine, qigong, acupuncture/acupressure, pranic healing, reflexology, self-hypnotism/affirmation/visualisation; and, astrology/numerology/palm reading/tarot cards, and other medical or non-spiritual health or investigative therapies/practices are all safe alternative/fringe sciences that do not pose problems for sincere spiritual practitioners or seekers. Let me explain...

Spirit Healing is possibly the oldest and simplest of all the highrisk healing methods, in its basic application. Healing energies are channelled through a healer to the client, via hands-on or handsoff methods, often combined with prayer or mantra. The healing is assisted by spirit guides, who work through the healer so that healing can be transferred to the client. Spirit healers are thus very vulnerable to the energies channelling through them. Also, while performing the healing, they can be similarly influenced by the energies surrounding the one who is being healed. This is because spirit(ual) healers have to open themselves up to these energies for channelling. Reiki ("Life Ki") on the other hand is an ancient healing art that involves either the laying-on of hands or the hovering of hands, with focus, to balance a client's mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical energies that exist within the body - often accompanied by certain rituals. These energies are not only derived from the practitioners' own store of Ki (life force), but also from their clients' Ki store - so the healer simply balances and restores client Ki by acting as a potential channel for the Ki energy to flow to the client, or to remove energy blocks within the client. Next - typical psychic/distant/absent healing is a method of transferring one's energy or prayer to someone else. Healing energies are channelled through one's body - potentially with the assistance of spirit guides or deities - into the body or mind of a client who needs to be healed, without the use of hands or touch. Now although the healing is communicated between two spirits (the healer 'guides' & the client's 'spirit' self), the effects of healing the client’s 'spirit' will manifest itself physically. So, the risks are similar to that of spiritual healing, so should be avoided. Finally, hypnotic healing is thought to help people get over their fears, phobias, pain, trauma and anxiety, etc., among other complaints. The same techniques were practiced by ancient Egyptians 2,000 years ago, and then rediscovered by an Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer in 1784. The idea is that one's mind can really overcome matter. However, there are many concerns about the safety and side-effects of this therapy, as it can cause mental distress and other disturbances, through unwanted changes, both intentionally or unintentionally, by practitioners - so, it is best avoided. Now other healing methods do exist, which are less popular/familiar, and so will not be described here. Overall, however, the motto one should follow is: 'If in doubt, leave it out!'

In contrast to the well-known magical concepts and healing, just described, a very early demonstration of human contact with those of apparent magical powers, originates from witnessing remarkable 'energy-resonance' manipulation, that was performed by visitors from another planetary system in front of ancient humans, dating back to tens of thousands of years ago - which those early humans thought of as "magic", though it was not. Still, they worshipped the alien visitors as gods. Incidentally, the resonating sound energy devices - once thought of as "magic" by ancient peoples - has a known scientific basis today, called magnetrons. However, the magnetrons of ancient times could generate a toroidal vortex energy field (a confined doughnut-shaped magnetic field that generates powerful electric currents flowing within a rotating plasma field, perpendicular to the rotation axis) that far surpasses anything modern science can produce currently; evidence of which still exists today. For example, natural stone magnetrons comprising quartz-stone (predominantly granite) structures - such as the long-abandoned network of ruins of circular stone formations, each up to 50 metres across - still found in South Africa today - were used to generate vibrational/frequency-specific electro-magnetic energy (from a few megahertz to hundreds of gigahertz in power), primarily for powering such needs as heavy-duty power tools, mining machines, engineering devices used for channeling water, and large-scale communication devices for extra-terrestrial use, as well as for manipulating local weather patterns to aid agriculture, and so on, by the alien visitors who came for Earth's natural resources at that time. Remarkable as this may seem, it's perfectly true, and not at all 'magic'. So, we need to rethink about what we consider to be possible!

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* This article, of great wisdom, is only an extract from an important new holy book, entitled, “The Sacred Truth Of God, Life & Creation – Holy Revelations For The Modern Age”, compiled by 'The Saint With No Name', which will be available for sale from January 2022 in all major bookstores or online for just £25/$36/€28. Please either wait till we announce a general release date or contact us for further details, at: sacredtruth@istauk.info